Morris tribune., 1887-01-12
A TALE OF nORROR.
tNQuiRiNG INTO THE CAUSE OF THE
BAL LTlMORe & OHIO DISASTER.

The Coroner's Inquest on the Bodies OF
the Unfortunate victims-Testimony of
Two Citizens OF Republic, Ohio-What
They Saw at the wreck--A Number Of
Relics Found.
TIFFIN, Ohio Jan. lO.-The coroner's in
quest into the cause Of the disaster on the
Baltimore & Ohio road was resumed Satur-
day. Jesse NJ. Spooner, of Republic, was
sworn and testified as follows: Live less than
mile from wreck; arrived there at 2:45 a. IN.
by my watch; cars wrapped in flames passed
the burning cars on south side; saw man
fastened by leg between engine and water
tank; raised his head up; he was fireman
OF passenger: he asked me TO raise his body
twenty-five or thirty persons standing near;
nobody doing anything; l worked there un-
TIL the man died, two hours later; saw after
ward the freight engineer who said he had
tried to extricate man wedged between
baggage-car and ladies coach; thought he
gave his name as j. c. or A. J. Bradley, but
was not sure of the name, and claimed to
be prominent Knight of Labor,
from Washington. This man could have
thrown the card case to where it was found;
heard engineer say to brakeman: Il sup
rose he a Baltimore & Ohio officiaD thinks
l am to blame for this wreck, but am not:
l did all i'll my power to get in, but could
not make my engine work. Saw Mr.. Ger
ring carry the body out on the bank on a
shovel; did not look like human body; l
pulled OF a large piece of sheet iron and I'M
covered three bodies, one large and two
sIra1; they were taken out to the bank;
near this Atr. Gerring picked up card case,
near the body Of another man. Mr. G..
opened the case in presence of others;
twenty-five or thirty cards with name
of NJ. H. Parks and address and business
printed; ten or twelve with name written
on; identified cards shown; case was dry
and fresh, cards unsoiled; gave them to Con-
ductor Haskell; took five charred bodies
out on that side; heard that one man had
left message for his mother. Mr.. Alfred
TompkinS picked up an open-faced silver
watch near a body that was completely
burnt TO ashes, and the body has never
been picked up at ALL When went to the
north side three bodies had been taken out
on that side, and part of body was taken
out afterward. Picked up two little stone
pipes, watch charm and some melted
gold, supposed to be watch,
piece of shawl pin, part of Grand
Army badge, evidently belonging to
Joseph Postlethwaite. Heard one man say
that the screams of sufferers were dreadful;
did not see any one who had escaped from
the smoker; there were niue bodies burned
in there and think there was ten.
Relics found--Medal; circular, one side
head and date 1887, other side Dayton Union
Steam Washing, near Fifth avenue, Wash
ington hotel for private families, New York;
Watch, either silver or filed, stopped 2:30 a.
m, badly melted; one open faced silver
watch, Elgin Ill, Watch company, stopped
o'clock; gold watch, N. D. Ogden move
ment, stopped 800; penknife; one finger
ring, with F. p on top outside; sleeve but
ton, metal, leafy scroll work around edge;
one four barrel revolver; one half pair of
Eyeglasses; one melted mass containing
metal, glass, pieces of bone, a button.
Henry c. Gerring, of Repuclic sworn.
Live half mile from wreck; reached there at 8
a. m; section hand on Baltimore & Ohio
road; three cars on fire; baggage, smoker,
and ladies car; baggage-car telesco ped ON
outside smoker six feet smoker exposed; first
met freight conductor who said: "Nobody
was burning" looked around and saw two
charred bodies lying between ladies' car and
smoker; carried them down the bank;
saw another body wedged be-
tween ladies car and smoker; went to
LIIoO W 1cSCuc LII SuAoAi "OEAoA
till he died; saw three bodies uncovered by
the raising of sheet iron, nine bodies taken
from the wreck and two parts of bodies
found besides; l took out five and the two
pieces on south side; talked with freight en-
gineer about man between smoker and
ladies' car; do not rer'ember what name
was given; found kit of tools belonging to
linemen; freight engineer seemed Indifferent
and dazed, like a man walked out of